Traveling conveyer



Mar. 13, 1923. 1,448,458

E. F. MILLARD ET Al.

TRAVELING CONVEYER Filed Apr. 1, 1922 5 `sheets-'sheet 1V Mani'. 13, 1923.

E. F. MILLARD ET'AI.

TRAVELING CONVEYER Filed Apr, l, 1922 5 sheets-sheet 2 Mar. 13, 1923.

E. F. MILLARD ET Al. TRAVELING CONVEYR 5 sheets-sheet 5 Filed Apr.

Patented Mar'. l3, 119232.

narran stares .air `o risa.

el' imi EDWARD F. MILLARD, OIF MARTINSBURG, AND C. DUNHAM, QF BERKELEY SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA.

TRAVELING ooNvnYnR.

Application filed April 1,

To all fui/0m it may concer/1t.'

Be it known that we, EDWARD F. MILLARD and FRANK C. DUNHAM, citizens ofy the United States of America, and residents of Martinsburg, in the county of Berkeley and State of Vest Virginia, and Berkeley Springs, in the county of Morgan and State of l/Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traveling Conveyers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to overhead conveyers, and the said invention relates more particularly to a conveyer which is adapted to be moved along an elevated track in operative relation to a conveyer which travels longitudinally of the track on which the transversely operable conveyer is supported and with relation to which it moves.

Primarily, this invention is intended for use in transferring sand or objects of like 1 character from piles on the floor of a building to loading chutes or platforms where the material may be delivered to cars, and hence, in this illustration, the building is shown in proximity to al railroad track showing the p applicability of the apparatus in loading cars.

A' further object of this invention is to produce a traveling conveyer adapted to operate transversely of the building in which it is installed, associated with a novel elevating conveyer for moving material from the Hoor and for delivering' the said material to the said transversely operable conjveyers; and the invention further contemplates the provision of novel means whereby the elevating conveyer may be turned at different angles with respect to the transversely disposed conveyers, in order that the elevating conveyer may deliver material to either of the transversely disposed conveyers, it being understood that the carriage which moves on the elevated track has c'onveyers which are preferably operated from the same source of power.

It is a further object of this invention to produce a conveyer of great utility in the transferring of material such as sand from bins or piles in the storehouse to the conveyers, whereby the said sand may be caused to travel to the loading chutes or to a conveyer for carrying' the sand longitudinally of the building or bin.

It is a further object of this invention to 1922. Serial No. 548,629.

produce anclevating conveyer and a tur table or support therefor, whereby the said elevatingl conveyer may be adjusted with relation to the transversely operating conveyers, and to further-more provide means whereby the turntable or support for the elevating conveyer may be moved transversely of the building in which the apparatus is installed.

Wv ith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details vof construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several. views, and in Which- Figure l illustrates a plan view of the apparatus 'embodying the invention, the building being shown in horizontal section;

Figr'ire 2 illustrates a transverse sectional view showing the apparatus, except the longitudinal conveyer, in elevation; l

Figure 3 illustrates 4an enlarged ydetail view of the elevating co'nveyer and the transverse conveyers with which it is associated;

Figure et illustrates a top plan view thereof; i

Figure 5 illustrates a sectional the line 5 5 of Fig. et; and

Figure 6 illustrates a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

In these drawings 10 denotes the structure in which the apparatus is installed, the structure being' shown for the purpose of illustrating the utility of the said apparatus in its adaptability to be moved from one pile of sand to another, the said piles of sand being' identiiied by the reference numeral 1l.

- In the installation of the (apparatus, two beams 12 and 13 are arranged longitudinally 'of the building on any suitable supports or framework such as 14;, and the said beams constitute supports for rails l5 and 16 respectively, on which the traveling element, generally identified by the numeral 17, is mounted through the medium of the wheels 18. p y The traveling element 1T, in the present embodiment of the invention, includes a frame-like 'structure in which two channel irons 19 and '2O constitute the main supportview on ing elements, the said channel irons being connected by braces or bars 21. The lower flanges of the channel irons constitute tracks on which the rollers 22 of hangers 23 may travel, the said hangers constitutingsupports for the frame 24 of a turntable 25. rlhe channel irons are each provided with upstanding brackets 26, each of which supports a shaft or spindle 26, and each shaft in turn supports an idler 28 with relation to whicha conveyer belt 29 operates, the said conveyer belt for each channel iron being arranged to run transversely of the structure in which the apparatus is mounted or longitudinally of the said channel irons. These transversely operating conveyers serve to deliver material to a chute, hopper or the like, identified by the numeral 30, by which said material may be delivered to a car 31, and the device is of prime utility in connectionwvith thegloading of sand in railway cars. Conveyer supports 33, in the nature of belt tighteners, conventionallyshown in the drawings, may be employed for supporting the `lower runs of the conveyers, or foi` taking up slack, should the conveyers stretch.

The end rollers for the conveyer belts 29 constitute pulleys and are connected by a shaft 34 which is driven by a motor 35 through gearing 36 which is also conventionally shown, and thus the motor 35 which is preferably of the electric type, may be driven for the purpose of communicating motion to the transversely disposed conveyers.

The frame 24 of the turntable is shown in cross section in Figs. 5 and 6, and in the present embodiment of the invention, the supporting rollers 37 are suitably rotatably mounted in pairs on the frame, the rollers of each pair being in such spaced relationy to each other asto receive the edge of the turntable 25 between them, so that the turntable may rotate, for a purpose to be presently explained. .ln order to maintain the operative relation of the turntable to the rollers and to other parts of the apparatus, guiding rollers 38 are also journaled ,in the lframe at convenient locations to engage the periphery of the turntable, as is well illustrated inlfig. 4.

I [Two of the hanger rollers 22 are connected by a shaftv 39 having a sprocket wheel 40 and a sprocket chain 41 operates over the sprocket wheel and extends downwardly within reach of an operator on the floor of the building, in order that the chain may be manipulated to move the turntable longitudinally of the channel irons 19 for the purpose of carrying the conveyer transversely of the structure. The shaft 39 is also provided with sprocket wheels a engaged by chains-b which chains also operate over suitablesprocket wheels such as c on a shaft d, the said chains being effective to move the turn table from one end of the traveling element 17 to the other. A crank e operates a sprocket wheel f, and a chain 7c runs over the said sprocket wheel and over a sprocket wheel Z which latter wheel is on the shaft m. The shaft m is utilized to drive lthe transverse chains b and so move the turntable. y

The traveling element is moved longitudinally of the tracks by suitable gearing, and there is here conventionally shown, a means for effecting this transfer or movement of the travelinv element on theelevated track. A platfbrm g is built on the traveling element and it supports a reversing motor h that drives the gearing i on a shaft y', the said shaft j being associated with one pair of wheels 18 of the traveling element, so that when the motor is operated, it serves to drive the gearing in order that it will move the elevating carrier inone direction or the other, according to the direction of the drive of the motor. The motor and parts associated with it are within convenient reach of an occupant of the platform so that an operator may have full control of the mechanism for moving the elevator and conveyer to such positions with respect to piles of material occupying the Hoor of the building, as will best serve the purposes of the user.

The elevating conveyer may be of any ap- 'propriate construction and the details thereof are, to a great extent, immaterial, since one skilled in the art might employ different types of conveyer belts or chains andv buckets, or any conventional screw conveyer might be employed with success, and the inventors do not wish to be restricted with respect to the construction of the conveyer, except as to its relation to the turntable and parts associated with it.

The elevating` conveyer 42 has a frame structure which projects through an opening 43 of the turntable, and it is secured to bars 44 having their ends anchored to and supported by the turntable. As shown in the drawing, the elevating conveyer extends well above the turntable and its upper end `is preferably provided with a hopper 45 which directs material from the elevating conveyer to the transversely disposed conveyers, and since the turntable may be adjusted to cause the hopper 45 to overlie either one of the transversely disposed conveyers, provision is made for operation of the elevating conveyer over a wide area. A pulley 46 is supported from the frame of the turntable, and a pulley 47 is connected to the elevating conveyer, the same being engaged by a flexible element 48 whereby the elevating conveyer is supported and adjusted.A The pulleys 46 and 47 may have double grooves over which, the flexible element 48 is wound in order that the power necessary for the manipulationof the conveyer may be minimized. The elevating conveyer is geared to` a motor 442L on the turntable by means of the ygear elements of conventional type, identified by the reference character 44h. This gearing can, of course, be modified to suit particular. requirements as to power and R. P. M., as the requirementsin practice and the weight of the material to be handled may develop. The hopper 45 is shown as being supported by arms 45CL and 451?, one of which is on each side of the conveyer frame. The frame of the elevating conveyer is sectional, and one section is pivotally vconnected tothe other at the joint 45C. l n

A longitudinally disposed conveyer 49 is installed longitudinally of the building or structure insuchrelation to the, transversely disposed conveyers as to receive 'material such as sand from' the transversely disposed conveyers, and ahopper 50 is employed for directing material from the said transversely disposed conveyers to the said vlongitudinally disposed conveyer,theilatter of which may be driven in any appropriate way, and since one skilled in the art will understand the illustration and operation of the conventional type of the conveyer, itis believed unnecessary to show the same in detail.

lt will be understood from an inspection of the drawing and from the foregoing description that the longitudinally disposed conveyer may be employed for distributing material delivered to it by the transversely ydisposed conveyers, and that in thezhandling of sand, for instance, that has to bewashed and dried and then piled and loaded-for shipment, the apparatus constitutes a means for a rapid transference of the sand in the course of its preparation for shipment, and since the operation of the apparatus and the elements thereof have been indicatedin connection with a description of the said elements and their relation to other parts of the apparatus, further detail explanation of the mode of operation lis believed unnecessary to an understanding of the invention by one skilled in the art.

We claim:

l. In an apparatus for conveying material, a framework having parallel rails in spaced relation to each other, a traveling member supported by the said rails, the said traveling member having parallel channel irons constituting the main supporting elements of the traveling element extending transversely of the frame structure, conveyers arranged over each of the channel irons, a turntable, hangers projecting upwardly from the turntable, rollers mounted on said hangers and engaging the lower flanges of the channel irons, a conveyer suspended from the turntable, said conveyer extending through the turntable, and means for holding the.y upper endof the conveyer in ope-rative relation to either of the conveyers, as and for the purpose described. Y

2. In anapparatus for conveying material, aframework having parallel railsin spaced; relation to each other, a traveling member supported by the saidrails, theI said4 traveling member having parallel channel irons constituting the main supporting elements of the traveling -element extending transversely of theframe structure, brackets supported by the said channel irons, drums rotatably mounted in thebrackets, the'axes of the drums` being parallelto the frame structure, conveyer beltsoperable over the said drums, a turntable, hangers connected to the turntable and extending upwardly,

vrollers on the brackets engaging the lower flanges of the channel irons, means fordriving lthe said wheels on the channel irons to move the turntable longitudinally thereof, the said turntable having an aperture therein, a conveyer extending through the aperture approximately vertically and having its upper end at such height as to discharge on vthe conveyers, means on `the said turntable fonoscillatably suspending the said conveyer, and means for holding the conveyer in different positions of adjustment with respect to the said conveyers.

3. In an apparatus for conveying material, a framework .havingparallel rails in spacedirelationy to each other, a traveling member supported by thefsaid rails, the said traveling member having parallel channel irons. constituting the main supporting elements of the traveling element extending transversely of the frame structure, brackets supported by the said channel irons, drums rotatably mounted in the brackets, the axes of ythefdrums being parallel to the frame structure, conveyer belts operableover the said drumsa turntable, hangers connected tol the turntable and extending upwardly, rollers on the brackets engaging the lower flanges Vof the channel irons, means for driv- -in-g the rsaid wheels on'the channel irons to move the turntable longitudinally thereof, the said turntable having an aperture therein, a conveyer extending through the aperture approximately vertically and having its upper end at such height as to discharge on the conveyers, means on the said turntable for oscillatably suspending the lsaid conso e veyer, means for holding the conveyer in different positions of adjustment with respect to the said conveyers, conveyers extending longitudinally'of the .frame at the ends of the first mentioned conveyers for receiving material therefrom, and means for operating the conveyers in unison.

4. In an apparatus for conveying material, an element mounted for movement on an elevated support, said element comprising members forming/tracks and means for connecting thev said members, conveyer 'elements mounted on said members and operative to move material longitudinally of the saidvmemberS, a turntable suspended from said members and having `Wheels, mounted ion the tracks of saidmembers, an elevating conveyer extending through the turntable and supported ythereby and adapted to be movedy by the rotationA of ythe turntable, means for moving vthe turntable'frame longitudinally of the members, means for operating the first mentioned conveyers and means for operating. the elevating conveyer.`

5. In an apparatus for conveyinglmaterial, an. element mounted for movement on .an elevated support, said element comprising members forming-tracks andmeans for 'connecting the said members, conveyery elements mounted on said members and operative to move material longitudinally of the said members, a'turntable suspended 'from -said members and having Wheels mounted on the tracks of said members, an elevating yconveyer extending through the turntable and supported thereby and adapted tobe moved by the rotation of the turntable, means `for movingthe turntable frame longi- 4tudinallyuof themembers, a conveyer operating parallel to the support of the lirst mentioned element and'in operative relation to the irstmentioned conveyers for receivmg material therefrom, means for operating the irst mentioned conveyers andl means `for operating the elevatingA conveyer.

6.- lIn an apparatus for conveying material,

an element mounted or'movementl on an `elevated support, said element' comprising members `forming tracks and means for connecting the said members, conveyer elements mounted on said members and operative to move material longitudinally of the said membersa turntable suspended from said members and having Wheelsmounted on the tracks of said members, an elevating -conveyer extending through the turntable and supported thereby and adapted to be moved by the rotation of theturntable, means for moving the turntable frame longitudinally of the members, a chute `for loading cars to Whichthe conveyers deliver material, means `for operating the first mentioned conveyers,

and means tor operating the elevating conveyer. l' f 7. In an apparatus for conveying material, an element mounted in an 4elevated position forl travel longitudinally of a fixed object, said yelement comprising members' having tracks rigidly connected together, a turntable frame suspended from and adapted to travel on the tracks of the members, a turntable having anl aperture thereinrotatably mounted in the frame, meansfor moving the frame longitudinallyy of the members, an elevating conveyer secured to and supported by the turntable, conveyers mounted on `the channel irons,fconveyerbelts supported by the rollers, means for vdriving the conveyer belts, a frame suspended from and adapted to travel-longitudinally or' the Ychannel irons, "ya turntable having an aperture therein, Wheelson the said frame for guiding the turntable and means for moving the frame longitudinally of the channel irons, an elevating conveyer supported by .the turntable and adapted to turn therewith,

a longitudinally disposed conveyer adapted Ito operate longitudinally of the support for the first mentioned element to which material is delivered by irst mentioned conveyers, and ahopperadaptedto receive material for delivery to a car at one side of the supporty for the firstv mentioned element.

E. F.y MILLARD. j FRANK c. DUNHAM. 

